Project abstract for group hillmyer

The synthesis of regio- and stereo- selective polymers by Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of 3-substituted cyclooctene has been demonstrated by monoaryloxide ryrrolide imido alkylidene (MAP) catalysts of molybdenum and tungsten. The experimentally found propagating species of such polymerization was found to be opposite to that of what this group previously reported (Martinez, H. et al. ACS Catal., 2:2547 (2012)). Finding an answer for this regio- and stereo- selectivity could lead to a higher control of the polymerization and the synthesis of polymers with well-defined microstructure. The researchers plan to study this by computational calculations using Gaussian 09 package software during each step of the polymerization.